Most people think of Google Sheets as a web app for creating and viewing spreadsheets for data analysis, but it can also be used for basic project management. While Sheets lacks the advanced features of full-blown task-management software, you can create a spreadsheet to track the progress you and your co-workers make on a team project.
This guide goes over the elements in Google Sheets that you can use to help with project tracking. This includes using templates designed for project management, adding dropdown menus with preset status options that you and your co-workers can update as tasks are completed; and tagging co-workers to assign tasks to them.
1. Start with a project management template
Google Sheets includes several templates for project management. You don’t have to use a template, of course, but it can give you a head start on designing your spreadsheet. Then you can customize it according to your project.
From Google Sheets: At the top of your Google Sheets home page, you’ll see a “Start a new spreadsheet” header with a row of thumbnails underneath. These thumbnails are templates. Click Template gallery to the upper right of the thumbnails, and you’ll be taken to a full page with template thumbnails.
From Google Drive: On your Drive home page, click the New button at upper left. On the menu that appears, hold your pointer over the arrow to the right of Google Sheets and select From a template. You’ll see a page with template thumbnails.
Howard Wen / IDG
Save time by starting with a project management template, then adapting it for your project’s needs. (Click any image in this story to enlarge it.)
On the “Template gallery” page, scroll down until you see the “Project management” header. There are four templates to choose from: Gantt chart, Project timeline, Project tracking, and Event marketing timeline. Click a thumbnail to start a new spreadsheet using that template.
The “Project tracking” template, for example, includes areas where you can track one or more stages of a project. Within each project or stage, you can enter specific tasks necessary to complete the project, along with a status, priority, start and end date, assignee, estimated hours, and more for each task.
Howard Wen / IDG
The Project tracking template gives your team a quick leg up on keeping track of all the tasks to complete a project.
Click anywhere in the spreadsheet to start adjusting it for your own project.
To change any text field: Simply select it and start typing.
To change a date field: Type in a new date or double-click to bring up a mini-calendar where you can select a date.
To select a different option from a dropdown list: Dropdown lists have a small down arrow to the right of the cell. Double-click the cell (or click its down arrow) to see other options to choose from. Select one of the options and it will appear in the cell. (More on dropdowns in a moment.)
To delete any columns or rows you…
2023-11-14 02:41:02
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